The MH Friday night workout

As any seasoned gym veteran knows, a balanced body is a healthy body. But sometimes (and only sometimes) it can pay to take a few shortcuts. If you know you have a massive night or a hot date lined up for Friday, for example, where’s the sense in sticking to your usual routine if you’re timetabled to work your legs? Yes they need to be worked, but let’s face it, it’s unlikely anyone’s going to see them (unless you’re catching the 7pm flight to Ibiza – no, we thought not).

Equally, many arm-focused workouts neglect your chest muscles and vice versa. That’s why we asked world-champion body builder Rob Hope to devise a workout which hits the muscles you need to target to make an impression at the bar – in just five simple moves.

Head to the gym to do this quick workout right before your big night out and you’ll pump up the size of your T-shirt specific muscles by up to 10% – making your favourite clothes look like they were custom cut.

Action plan

The goal is to flood your muscles with blood. “The best way to do this is to use high reps, minimal rest and train in a circuit,” says Hope. “You don’t want to train your chest first, then have it deflate before you’ve left the gym. Rather, pump up all your muscles at once and leave looking big every where.”

To do this, perform all the exercises one after another, then rest 1-2 minutes and go again. This is the routine that professional bodybuilders use before they go under the spotlights, where there’s no place for imperfections to hide. And if it can do that for them imagine the impact it will have on you.

Chest inflator

Incline dumb-bell bench press (4 x 25 reps)

Works upper chest, triceps, shoulders, abs

1) Strain your shirt at the seams with this quick move. Lie back on a bench set to a 45 degree incline. Hold a weight in each hand above your chest with your arms straight. “Tense your chest muscles at this point to begin driving blood into them,” says Hope.

2) Lower the weights to the sides of your chest by bending your elbows, then straighten your arms to press them up again. “To keep the tension on your upper chest and flood the muscle with extra blood, don’t lock out your elbows at the top of each rep,” says Hope. If you’re struggling with the reps, try picturing a bevy of admirers later on as motivation.

1) This move works your back. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hold the dumb-bells in front of your body. “Bend your knees to stop you from using your hamstrings to do the work,” says Hope. Working your traps is key to achieving that sought-after broad-shouldered look.

2) Bend your elbows to pull the weights up your body to a point that’s just below your chin. Pause. “This is key to driving blood into the muscle, so bear with the pain for as long as you can,” says Hope. Slowly lower to the start.

T-shirt tip #2 “Neck muscles are often overlooked but they can complete a good T-shirt look,” says Down. “V-neck shirts work well because they draw the eye to the widest point of your chest and emphasise the traps. Don’t be tempted by a V that’s deeper than your pecs though – unless you want to look like a gigolo. Remember to keep your shoulders relaxed, rather than hunched up. This will make you look wider and give you better posture.”

The sleeve stretcher

Close grip bench press (4 x 15 reps)

Works triceps, chest, shoulders, abs

1) Working your triceps is your quickest route to busting your T-shirt sleeves. Lie on a bench press station and grab a barbell with a fist- width overhand grip. “Don’t grip too close or you’ll put too much tension on your wrists and not enough on your triceps,” says Hope.

2) Bend your elbows to lower the weight to your chest. Straighten them to return the weight to the start and lock out your elbows to squeeze your triceps. You might feel a little fatigued at this point, but keep the vision of how you want to look in your mind.

T-shirt tip #3 “Make sure your sleeves finish at the widest point of your biceps,” says Down. “This will draw the eye to where you want it to go.”

Widen your frame

Lateral raises (4 x 20 reps)

Works shoulders

1) T -shirts are not the most forgiving garments and won’t disguise a flabby torso. So if you want to look more V-shaped than U-shaped, then this move is for you. Stand with your feet together and hold a dumb-bell in each hand, palms facing each other. “Don’t go too heavy, you want to perform each rep with perfect form to drive blood into your muscles,” says Hope.

2) Raise the weights out to your sides so that they become level with the height of your shoulders. Hold for a moment then slowly lower them to your sides. “This move works the outer edges of your shoulders, so will make them appear wider,” says Hope.

1) Your biceps are the muscles that are most often on display. Get them pumped and the rest of you will look good. Stand holding the end of an elastic band in each hand. Loop the band under your feet and rest your arms at your sides. Make sure you can see a clock because you’re about to time your reps.

2) Bend your elbows to curl the straps towards you. Return to the start. Go as quickly as you can. “Fast reps fire up extra muscle fibres so more of your biceps will be working,” says Hope. Which means more muscle in your T-shirt.

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